The Palompulum Hotel
by Wandering Letters
Summary: The party takes a long vacation in Palompulum after their adventure. What happens during their stay? Rated M for possible lemons. Contains CloudxLightning, FangxOC, VanillexHope, SnowxSerah. Contains spoilers. R&R guys, first in a long time.
1. Checking In

Final Fantasy XIII: The Palompulum Hotel

"Looks like we can stay here for a while,"

A figure jumped up enthusiastically.

"Calm down Vanille, it's not that great," said a voice.  
"Oh stop being such a party pooper Hope," replied Vanille.  
"You guys are something else," said another voice.

Laughter followed that comment as a small chocobo flew around the two teenagers.

"What are the sleeping arrangements going to be like?" asked another.

"You and Snow have a room to yourselves, Sazh and wanted a room to himself, Lightning also wanted one to herself, so I guess me, Vanille and Hope can share," replied Fang.

Hope turned to Lightning.

"Can I stay with you Light? Please?" he asked.  
"Sure," she replied giving Hope a soft fist to the forehead.

Vanille and Fang turned to each other.

"Guess it'll be like old times," said Fang.

Vanille hugged her friend and giggled. Fang couldn't blame her for being so excited; it was finally time for the party to take a vacation. Snow and Serah got married, Lightning finally began to be open to others, Sazh was reunited with his son, Vanille finally wiped her conscience clean of guilt and Hope was reunited with his father. After everything that transpired, they could finally relax for a while. Fang awaited the bellboy to carry their bags up. Unbeknowst to her, someone was already coming behind, not dressed in the usual hotel uniform.

"Excuse me miss, do you need some help with those?" he asked.

Fang turned to look at him and even she couldn't help but to gasp a little. He was just slightly taller than she was. He was dressed in a white shirt covered by a black leather jacket and a pair of baggy black jeans covering his legs. She assumed he became so toned from his job but it wasn't toned enough to look unattractive. He had jet black hair that looked similar to Snow's hair but slightly shorter. He also had sky blue eyes.

"Yes, I need these taken up to rooms 207 through 210," she replied.  
"Alright, no problem," he replied.

He walked away and returned with a cart. He almost effortlessly lifted each bag into the cart, greatly surprising her due to the fact that one of the bags caused Snow to exert effort. He then looked towards her and gestured for her to follow him. She called everyone else and followed him to the elevator. Due to the number of people, there was no space for the cart.

"Take the elevator, I'll carry your bags up the stairs and meet you up there," he said.  
"Won't you have trouble?" asked Snow.  
"Not at all, I can handle it," he replied.

The door closed and Vanille immediately grabbed Fang's hand.

"He's cute isn't he Fang?" asked Vanille.

Fang looked away with a slight blush. Vanille, dissatisfied with her response, turned to Lightning.

"Isn't he cute Light?" she asked.

Lightning's eyes widened and she turned away from Vanille but unlike Fang, Lightning gave a very light nod. Vanille giggled. Sazh chuckled.

"I'd like to see that kid get up here with all of those bags," he said.  
"That's not nice Sazh, he's only doing his job, have some faith!" said Serah.  
"Well, looks very difficult to do," said Snow.

They disembarked the elevator only to find the boy beside room 207, tying his shoes with the cart and all the bags in place. Eyes widened and Fang smirked.

"Alright, which bags go in this one?" he asked.  
"The large green one is for me, put that one in for 207 and that's it," said Sazh.

He nodded and lifted the bag in one hand before entering the room and returning. He continued putting each of the bags down until 210, Fang and Vanille's room.

"Ok, I'll put these in for ya," he said.

He lifted both of the bags with one hand each and Fang once again was shocked at his uncanny strength. He put them down and looked at Fang.

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked.  
"Sure, care to tell me why you don't have a uniform?" she asked.  
"Oh, an accident happened earlier today, a guest spilled a glass of champagne on me, seeing as it was a white uniform, it was pretty much soiled, so I asked my boss if I could wear this and he approved," he replied.

Fang nodded in comprehension.

"Ok, what's your name?" she asked.  
"Takeda Strife ma'am," he replied.  
"Hmm...nice name Takeda," she said.

He smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Thank you, may I ask your name?" he replied.

Fang held out a hand to him.

"Oerba Yun Fang, just call me Fang," she replied.  
"Thats a mouthful, you're from Gran Pulse?" he asked as he shook her hand.  
"Yes, I was raised in a small village there," she said.  
"Ahh, I grew up in Gran Pulse too, I used to live in another village on the east side," he said.  
"Really?" she asked.  
"Yep," he replied.

Fang turned to Vanille.

"Oh, this is my best friend," she began.  
"My name's Vanille!" she said with joy.

Takeda shook her hand and smiled at her.

"Pleasure to meet you two," he said.

His phone went off and he quickly answered it.

"Hey. No, I'm with a guest right now, need some help? Alright, I'll be right over. See you in a bit." he said as he shut the phone.  
"What's up?" asked Vanille.  
"My cousin Cloud also works here and he needs some help," he replied.

He handed Fang two cards.

"You can also ask him for help with anything if I'm not around," he replied.  
"Ok Takeda, I'll be sure to give you or him a call," said Fang.

He nodded.

"I'm usually available anytime but just case," he said as he waved and ran off.

Fang smiled as she watched him dash down the hallway.

_"He's a cute one alright,"_

He stopped running as he turned the corner and let out a deep breath.

_"Holy crap...she's sooo hot..."_


	2. The Strifes

Final Fantasy XIII: The Strifes

"Hello. Can you please send Takeda Strife up to room 210 please? Thank you very much. Bye."

It had already been a month since they arrived at the hotel and needless to say, everyone was having a blast. Even Lightning, who had become friends with Takeda's cousin, Cloud was thoroughly enjoying herself. Fang tried hard to become friends with Takeda but he was a very popular employee and was always called away for assistance with others, leaving very little time for them to bond. Thankfully, Takeda arrived and made sure to turn off his phone. He too wanted to spend time with his new friend and one of the few people who he actually sort of liked.

"Hey, sorry I'm a little late, I had kitchen duty," he said as he closed the door behind him.

Vanille had gone with Hope to the pool, leaving the two of them alone. Fang was in the bathroom and the shower was on.

"Ok, I'll be out in just a minute," she called out.

He looked around the room curiously only to find Fang's staff leaned against the wall. He picked it up and started to playfully twirl it in his hands until he heard the shower turn off. He replaced the staff and sat in the chair next to the door. Fang soon came out, dressed in her usual tribal attire. Her wet hair was the only thing that was different.

"Need a hair dryer for that?" he asked.  
"No, I'm going to the pool in about fifteen minutes anyways," she replied.

He seriously loved that exotic accent of hers. She sat down on the bed and patted the space beside her. He understood and joined her. They began to talk with each other for a while, telling each other everything there was to know about recent events. Fang was still shocked to discover that Takeda was also a l'Cie like her but his Focus was already complete and the fal'Cie that branded him "set him free". His immense strength was then revealed to be one of the abilities as a l'Cie that he was granted and before he came to work at the hotel, he used to be a field vet, working with the wildlife of Gran Pulse to encourage healthier animals and also to discover more about them.

Soon, Fang left to change into her swimsuit and Takeda waited outside to give her privacy. She came out wearing a black two piece with the lower half covered by a towel. Takeda swallowed hard.

"Care to join me?" she asked.  
"Uhh, how long are you going to be there?" he asked.  
"A while, probably for a couple hours, I'm gonna get my tan on," she replied.

He chuckled; that accent never failed to amuse him.

"I'll be there in a half hour, I'm gonna wrap up my shift before I come," he replied.  
"You work too hard Takeda," she said shaking her head.  
"Yes...I've been told that," he said.

Fang gave him a friendly hug, causing his heart to stop for a few seconds. Her scent, the feel of her skin and her gentle touch drove his senses to their limit.

"See you later then," she said.

He nodded and waved before he ran off. Fang arrived at the pool area to find everyone there, including Lightning. She claimed a recliner for herself and lay down wearing sunglasses and putting on a straw hat before letting the sun warm her body. Half an hour went by fast and soon, both of the Strifes came to the pool. Cloud as usual chose not to go shirtless and instead wore a black tanktop with trunks that passed his knees. Takeda however, wore stylish trunks that reached down half way to his calves and wore a black t-shirt. It didn't look like he had any intention of swimming.

"Guess the tan is going well," he said as he approached Fang.  
"Yeah I suppose, how come you're not swimming?" she asked.  
"I'll go when you do," he replied.

Cloud waved at Fang before he went to Lightning and sat by the poolside with her swimming to the edge and talking to him. Takeda really liked that Cloud found a friend because it was rare to see him smile.

"Looks like your cousin's getting real close to her," she said.  
"Yeah, it's good though because it's really been a while since Cloud interacted with anyone," he replied.  
"Why?" she asked.  
"His girlfriend died two years back, her name was Tifa Lockhart, he really loved her and when she died of a heart attack, he distanced himself from everyone, except me of course because I'm all he's got left," he replied.  
"Oh...that's really sad, well, Light's a good girl, a little cold but she's really nice," said Fang.  
"I know, Cloud never lets me forget it, he likes her a lot and for some reason, they seem almost alike," said Takeda.  
"You said it," said Fang.

Fang rose from her recliner, removing her glasses and hat. Takeda looked at her, almost baffled by her body.

"Let's see how well you can dive," she said.

She dragged him to the high diving board and she stood on it first.

"Give me a rating on a scale of 1 to 10," she said.

He nodded and watched as she jumped up high before gracefully flipping, spinning and landing into the pool with a small splash. She resurfaced.

"How's that?" she called out.  
"15," he replied.

She laughed before he took off his shirt, revealing the extent of muscle he achieved. He was definitely toned but he wasn't large and bulky but instead was just muscular enough to be considered an avid swimmer. He closed his eyes before leaping into the air on one foot. He skillfully flipped 8 times, spun around 1080 degrees and entered the water with even less of a splash as Fang did. He resurfaced and looked at Fang.

"Ok...you win," she said shaking her head.

He laughed before he sensed something and held out a hand behind him to catch an incoming volleyball. He turned to see Vanille and Hope laughing.

"Darn it, almost had him," said Hope.  
"Better luck next time kid," he said and he threw the ball back to Hope.

He lay back and floated on the water, relaxing after a hard day's work.

"So Takeda is really all you have left?" asked Lightning.

Cloud nodded as he looked toward his cousin.

"He's been looking out for me for the last two years and he works extra shifts to get enough money to support the two of us and his little sister, he stopped the extra shifts recently because I got a job here," said Cloud.  
"He has a little sister?" she asked.  
"Well, that's what he calls her and treats her as, she's really the daughter of a close friend he had who asked him in her will to take care of because she passed away about three years ago, Takeda treats her like she's his own flesh and blood," said Cloud.  
"Thats sweet of him, he's a good guy then," said Lightning.  
"I wish I could say the same for me, I haven't been able to do anything for him besides saying thank you all the time, I wish I could find a way to show him how much I appreciate what he's done for me,"  
said Cloud.

Lightning became silent for a few moments before looking back up at him.

"How about we get him and Fang together, I can tell he likes her a lot," said Lightning.  
"I know he does, the only reason why he works so hard to get his work out of the way is because he loves to hang out with her," said Cloud.  
"I see, well I guess he's doing just fine then," said Lightning.  
"What about you?" asked Cloud.

Lightning looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Is there anyone you have an interest in?" he asked.  
"Umm...maybe," she replied looking away.  
"I understand if you don't want to tell me, you've barely known me a month and I guess that topic is a bit shaky for you to discuss," he said folding his arms.  
"No...I do like this guy but I'm not sure why I do yet," she said.

Cloud nodded before he rose to his feet and jumped into the pool. Takeda looked back.

"That's an 8 bro!" he yelled.

Cloud smiled and held up a thumb at his cousin. Takeda laughed before he sensed a presence behind him. He was then dunked underwater and he managed to swim away before resurfacing. It was Fang.

"You're a quick one," said Fang.  
"I try," said Takeda.

She splashed him with water only for him to fire back. She eventually lost to him as her arms grew tired. Half an hour later, everyone returned to their rooms, Cloud following Lightning back to hers and Takeda to Fang's.

"Well, it's getting pretty late, I should get home to my little sister," he said.  
"Oh, I thought you said she was saying with her friend at her house?" asked Fang.

Takeda gave himself a face palm.

"I totally forgot," he said.  
"Why don't you stay here? We have the extra bed anyways," said Fang.  
"Uhh...are you sure it's okay? Will Vanille have a problem?" he asked.

Fang shook her head and he shrugged. He ran to get his bag from his locker. Fang set up the bed in the mean time. Takeda returned shutting his phone.

"Cloud's staying over with Lightning so I guess it's official," he said.

Fang smirked and showed him his bed. He put his bag beside the bed.

"Can I use your shower? I gotta get this chlorine off," he asked.

Fang nodded and comically gestured him to the bathroom. He quickly gathered his clothes and took an unused rag from the pile and walked into the bathroom. He came out in five minutes.

"Better?" she asked.  
"Much," he replied as he mimicked her gesture to the room.

She laughed slightly before she entered the room. Takeda laid in his bed.

_"Yeah...I definitely have a crush on her,"_

He wiped his eyes and found himself passed out from sleep.


	3. Two New Items

Final Fantasy XIII: Two New Items

"Takeda? Are you alright?" asked Fang.

She shook his body with a hand on his chest and he instantly awoke.

"What's the matter?" he asked.  
"You just passed out soo quickly," she replied.  
"Oh, my eyes were burning a bit and I guess when I rested em, I passed out, don't worry though, I'm ok," he replied.

Fang sighed in relief. Takeda sat up and it was only then that he noticed what Fang was dressed in. She wore a black nightgown that hugged her body, showing off all of her curves and her nearly godly figure. He gulped in some air before he broke the silence.

"How long was I out for?" he asked.  
"An hour or so," she replied.

He nodded.

"Takeda, can I ask you a personal question?" she began.  
"Sure, what's on your mind?" he asked.  
"Are you happy being assigned to us?" she asked.  
"You mean me being at your disposal 24/7? Helping you out with everything you ask me to and all of that?" he asked.

Fang looked at him and nodded. He smiled.

"Every minute of it," he replied.

Fang smiled at him but to her surprise, his hand went to hers.

"Fang...I need to say this before my head slaps my senses away," he said.

He drew in a deep breath and shut his eyes tight.

"The reason why I like everytime you call me up is because I enjoy spending time with you...I enjoy it a lot," he continued.  
"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I am convinced that I like you...a lot and I really want to know you better," he continued.

He drew another breath, oblivious to Fang's pink cheeks and her surprised look.

"I guess what I'm trying to say here is that I want you to be my girlfriend..." he finished.

Fang smiled at him and when he opened his eyes, she gripped his hand tighter.

"Ok," she replied.

He was shocked at her answer.

"I would love that..." she continued.

She moved into his arms and embraced him warmly. He let her snuggle into his lap and he leaned against the wall beside his bed. Fang  
leaned her face against his neck and he responded by stroking her bare arm slowly.

"How long have you had this in you?" she asked.  
"A good week," he replied.  
"You do realize that I can't stay here for the rest of my life," she said.  
"If you leave, I'll follow you," he replied.  
"I can't...I can't take your life away, that's selfish..." she said.

Her voice broke slightly.

"I don't need to work here to have a good life, my life is perfectly enjoyable with just your existence," he replied.

She looked up at his eyes.

"Do you mean that?" she asked.  
"Every word of it," he replied.

She smiled and blushed. She turned away, flattered by his words. He smiled and turned her face back to his and kissed her forehead. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his lips. His eyes closed and his hands moved to her waist, holding onto the dips in her figure. Her long hair was still damp from her shower and tickled his face as he pulled her as close as he could. He moved to her neck and a hand shot up to the back of her head, gently gripping it as his lips devoured her neck. She moaned softly, her accent still  
blending in with each sound that escaped her lips. His other hand began to glide around her body with a feather like touch, eliciting even more moans. He stopped.

"Ok, I better stop now, it's getting hard to control myself," he panted.  
"You're really good at this...did you have a girlfriend before?" she asked.  
"Nope," he replied.

Fang raised an eyebrow with a surprised look on her face.

"You're kidding right?" she asked.

He smiled and shook his head.

"Wow, how'd you learn to do that?" she asked.  
"I didn't, I just tried what my mind told me to, why?" he asked.  
"It felt amazing," she replied.

He shrugged.

"Let's hope your cousin can make Light happy," she said with a smirk.  
"You know about them?" he asked.  
"Everyone knows about those two, I see the way Light looks at him, he's the only guy she doesn't wail on, not to mention that she's been a lot happier lately," she replied.

He chuckled.

"Well, let's hope, Cloud really likes her, I haven't seen him this happy since he had Tifa," he said.

Fang nodded and he laid down. She soon rested her head on his chest and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

**MEANWHILE**

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" he asked.  
"Sure," she replied.

He nodded and entered the room. She quickly changed into her nightgown having bathed before. He returned, dressed in a black t-shirt and black pants. His hair was slightly wet.

"I'll just sleep on the couch, since you're short a bed," he said as he put his bag on the couch.

She nodded. He approached her and sat on her bed. Hope decided to spend the night with Sazh to give them their time together.

"So tell me about Takeda, what else does he do?" she asked.  
"Well, he's just a good person, he'll go out of his way to help pretty much anyone, he's nice to every one and he's a good family man," he replied.  
"Do you have any of those traits Cloud?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment.

"I don't know, I've never stepped back and look at the person I am," he replied.

She put a hand on his.

"You do, you don't realize it but you're a good person Cloud," she said.  
"A good person would have been able to protect someone precious to him," he replied turning his head away.

Lightning scooted closer to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.  
"My past..." he replied.  
"Tell me..." she said.

With a deep breath filling his lungs, he explained his life with Tifa and the tragic murder that claimed her life. Lightning was shocked, absolutely shocked and this revelation and she now understood why he was such a distant and quiet person; he lived a life of regretting that he wasn't able to protect the one precious to him. Cloud's eyes turned to slits and he picked up his bag.

"I should go..." he sighed.

Lightning grabbed his hand as he tried to leave. He turned around and was instantly met with her body embracing his.

"Don't go Cloud...don't go...please..." she whispered.

He dropped his bag but made no move to hug her back.

"Claire..." he softly whispered.

She leaned back and looked at him with a smile. He loved it when she smiled. He soon smiled back.

_"She looks so cute when she smiles..."_  
_"His smiles make me feel like I'm wanted around and I now know that I'm the only one who can make him smile like this,"_

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head. He knew that she was afraid of kissing and further intimate actions so he dared not try to go further; not without more consent. To his surprise, she leaned back and gazed into his eyes, blue meeting mako blue. Her grip around his back moved to his neck and she slowly leaned towards him. He could still sense that she was a little uneasy about the present situation but her eyes showed that she wanted it, far more than her fear could weigh it down. He still decided to wait for her to make the first move; it was only right seeing as she's the one with the phobia.

_"I like him soo much...I need to get over this fear, it's stopping me from being happy,"_

One of his hands slowly stroked the bare part of her back.

"It's ok Claire, I'm not going to bite you," he said.

She smiled at him; she knew he was only trying to help her overcome her phobia. Slowly but surely, she made it to his lips. It was a sweet, short kiss. It was a little awkward seeing as Lightning never did kiss a man before but Cloud wasn't one to complain; he was very understanding. She leaned in again and he allowed her to kiss him again. She made it a little longer this time before she turned away from him.

"I'm still...a little scared..." she whispered.  
"It's okay, I'm not expecting you to be any less, it's a phobia after all," he replied.

She sat on her bed. Cloud took it as a sign that she wanted to go to sleep and he moved to the couch.

"Cloud?...Do you want to share my bed?" she asked.

His eyes widened.

"Are you sure you'll be fine? I don't want to do something you're not comfortable with," he replied.

Lightning gave a quick nod and he joined her on the bed. He sat next to her without a word before she again grabbed onto his neck and kissed him again. She didn't come off of him this time and he kissed back, his hands going to her waist as he leaned onto his back and she crawled on top of him. After a few seconds she stopped kissing him and his hands fell down as if they were lifeless.

"Wow..." he gasped.

Lightning smiled at him and shook her head slowly as she pressed her head into his chest. Cloud responded by tightening his grip around her.

"Would it be fair to call us an item?" he asked.

Lightning rolled her eyes and looked at him before kissing him again. He was once again visibly affected by her affection.

"Is that a no?" he said as if he was in a trance.

She laughed.

"Sure...I guess we can call it that," she replied.

Cloud smiled at her, a smile that let her know that he couldn't be happier at the present moment and one that gave her confident that this was the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between them.


End file.
